Alexis Lafreniere scored two goals in regulation, including the tying marker late in the third period, and then got the only goal in the shootout as the host New York Rangers edged the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on Sunday night.
Lafreniere tied the score with 11 seconds left in regulation from the right doorstep off a wild sequence with the extra attacker by tapping in a cross-ice feed from Chris Kreider after Merzlikins could not control the rebound of Artemi Panarin’s shot.
Kreider earlier scored his 10th goal of the season and Panarin collected two assists to extend his point streak to a career-high 14 games. Panarin also matched Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert’s 1972-73 mark for the longest streak to start a season in team history.
Justin Danforth scored in the first period before rookie Adam Fantilli and Sean Kuraly tallied 19 seconds apart in the second for the Blue Jackets. Columbus’ Elvis Merzlikins made 16 of his season-high 37 saves in the third, when the Rangers outshot Columbus 17-3.
Panthers 4, Blackhawks 3
Carter Verhaeghe scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and Sam Reinhart had four points to lead Florida past Chicago in Sunrise, Fla.
Reinhart had two goals and two assists as Florida won its fourth straight game and improved to 6-1-0 at home. Reinhart leads the Panthers in goals (11) and points (21). Florida received 23 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky. Also for the Panthers, Oliver Ekman-Larsson had one goal and an assist, and Matthew Tkachuk and Evan Rodrigues added two assists apiece.
Blackhawks star rookie Connor Bedard scored twice, one unassisted. Bedard, an 18-year-old phenom and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has nine goals this season. Chicago, which tied the score three times but never led, also got a goal from Jason Dickinson and 28 saves from Arvid Soderblom.
Stars 8, Wild 3
Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston each had two goals and an assist, and Dallas cruised past Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minn.
Matt Duchene finished with a goal and an assist for Dallas, which won its third consecutive game. Joe Pavelski, Radek Faksa and Evgenii Dadonov also scored. Goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 23 of 26 shots to earn the victory.
Minnesota dropped its third game in a row. Brandon Duhaime, Vinni Lettieri and Mats Zuccarello scored one goal apiece for the Wild. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury allowed all eight goals on 37 shots.
Canucks 5, Canadiens 2
Casey DeSmith made 30 saves to help visiting Vancouver defeat Montreal.
Conor Garland, Dakota Joshua and Brock Boeser each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who won after having their five-game win streak snapped Saturday in Toronto. Filip Hronek earned an assist in his 10th straight game, becoming just the seventh defenseman in the past 30 years with an assist streak of 10-plus games, according to NHL.com.
Mike Matheson and Arber Xhekaj scored for the Canadiens, who had opened a four-game homestand with a 3-2 overtime win against the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Jake Allen made 32 saves.
Ducks 4, Sharks 1
Frank Vatrano scored a pair of first-period goals in a three-point outing to lead host Anaheim to a victory over San Jose.
Mason McTavish and Radko Gudas also scored for the Ducks, who snapped a two-game home losing streak. Goaltender John Gibson made 25 saves and Ryan Strome collected two assists.
Luke Kunin replied for the Sharks, who have lost two straight games and have only two victories in 15 games this season. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 40 shots.
–Field Level Media
